No Man's Land
by BobWhite
Summary: A shuttle carrying a bounty hunter and her bounty are pulled into the Destiny's fighter bay by the ship so the crew can be woken up. What happens when the crew learns the true identity of the 'brother? What happens when the 'brother' drops a bombshell on his bounty hunter 'sister? Full summary inside. R&R 2 find out more. Two original characters will eventually join crew.


**Full Summary:**

A bounty hunter and her prisoner are found in the dead of space aboard a shuttle. What happens when they happen upon the Destiny while everyone is still in cryo-stasis? Will they let everyone out now that the ship is no longer in the Drone Galaxy? Will the reason they were all the way out in the middle of space be found out? And what happens when he confesses that she's chasing the wrong man? Will they join forces?

 **Stranded:**

 **The Bounty:**

They thought they could count me as their bounty but I showed them differently. No bounty hunter was ever able to capture me because I was always on the move. They never thought to come out to the farthest reaches of the galaxy to find me. They expected me to be on the same ole planets I usually hid on. But I was smarter than they were. I knew they wouldn't risk their own lives by coming out where no human could possibly survive for very long.

But I was wrong. There was one bounty hunter that would do anything to capture me. I didn't know her name; I just knew that she was following me. I knew that she wasn't going to stop until she'd caught me. So I devised a plan that I knew would be full proof. You see our people existed only because we had left our own dimension and traveled through to this one. We hadn't wanted to live the life we had been living. But they hadn't known that they had brought a monster with them.

I was the monster. I was the one that they all feared at night when they went to sleep. I was the one that most people wished never existed. I snuck aboard the transport ship headed for the war ship above our home planet. I passed myself off as a man that had lost everything to live for and was looking for a new start. They bought it. Too bad I didn't know that the girl that was now hunting me had been on that very shuttle, had seen me sneak on, had seen what I was capable of. They say karma comes back to bite you in the ass if you are not careful. Guess I wasn't careful enough.

 **The Hunter:**

His name was Travail Dinletir. He had murdered an entire family when he found out that they knew who he was. Only problem was, that he had inadvertently left someone alive. He hadn't know that the youngest daughter of the family he had killed had been at a friend's house, hadn't known that she had walked home, hadn't known that she had watched him kill her family through the back window of the house. He hadn't known any of it. As he'd left the house that night, he stopped briefly and took his time with the girl's dead mother. After he'd left, the girl waited another ten minutes before entering the house.

She put a call into the sheriff and he'd sent some people over immediately. They'd said what she already knew; her family had been murdered. She hadn't known his name until she became a bounty hunter. And only then did she really understand who he really was. He had a long list of priors before he attacked her family. And he had an even longer list of charges after he'd attacked her family. She was certain that she could take him down without anyone really knowing anything about it.

She was sixteen when she became a bounty hunter; she knew she wouldn't be good at anything else. She had trained with the _legend_ himself. He had taken her in, told her that she was better than what Travail had made her into. She had originally just wanted revenge but when you get into the business of bounty hunting, there are certain things you have to let go and revenge is one of them. Most bounties came in as Wanted: Dead or Alive and she was more than happy to go after those bounties. When she began her job, Corbly (also known as the _legend_ ) had bought her her own transport shuttle. They had retrofitted it with its own steel cage with four cells to house any prisoners she caught. There was also a kitchen, a sleeping area, a small bathroom (which emptied out into space), a small infirmary stocked with the latest medical advances and an armory, which she kept locked up.

They had retrofitted the shuttle with bullet proof glass and had set up a drive so she could go into hyperspace and not be drifting in open space for very long. They also stocked it with enough canned and packaged food so that she wouldn't run out any time soon. Every time she was on Redemption, the home planet, she always made sure to stock up on canned and packaged food as well as clean water. What most people didn't understand was how a sixteen-year-old could blend in so well when most of the bounties she went after were on such diverse planets. They didn't know that she studied up on the cultures and what was appropriate to wear so that you could blend in well enough.

She had a stash of reading books as well as a dictionary that she could look at to study the planet she might be headed to so she would know how to interact with the population on the planet. Redemption was so far out in the system that it was hard not to have stopping places along the way. Every planet in the system had at least four towns on them with a fifth city as a sort of docking area for incoming ships and any passerby's.

For one, she never wore the same outfit once unless she wasn't on a bounty. For two, she had enough wigs that looked like real hair to hide her natural hair. For three, she always wore different contacts so nobody knew the true color of her eyes. She was always on the move; she never stayed in the same place for a long period of time for fear that someone would recognize her. When she handed over a bounty, she was always in the outfit she'd caught the bounty in. She always took charge of the bounty through her cortex, which allowed her not to have to leave her ship while in hyperspace and she could change direction once she knew that no one else was headed in the direction her bounty was.

Over the years, she had gotten so good that most bounty hunters refused to go after certain bounties which just left her to go after them and she didn't mind, because the less people looking for these criminals, the more money that went into her account. Though she didn't really have a bank account. It was safer not to. She normally kept her money in one of the most secret places on the ship.

When they'd left their own dimension, she'd been just a small child leaving with her parents for a better place to live. There hadn't been much they had been allowed to bring with them, but what her father made sure she always had was a portable electronic dictionary, something that she could always use to keep up with current planetary changes as well as the people that lived on them. But when they had traversed into this unknown galaxy, there had been so much turmoil that they'd had to settle the war between two enemy peoples before they could actually settle down and start a life of their own. She knew that she was in for the fight of her life if she was going to capture Travail alive and keep him alive until she could get back to Redemption. She just hoped that she didn't run into any unwanted attention.

 **Capture:**

Mayta landed her ship in a secluded area and made sure it was invisible before leaving through the door and locking it up. She headed out with two guns strapped to her thighs, a dagger strapped to her ankle covered up by her boots, the pulse gun strapped into her bulletproof vest and her coat hiding most of her weapons. She knew that Travail was on this planet, seeing as there was only one way on and off and it wasn't by ship. She'd learned that the stargates were used as a way of travel in this world and she was adamant about him not being able to get off the planet that way. She didn't mess with the gate; she just made sure he couldn't get back through it if he tried.

She moved silently and followed the tracks she knew were his. She needed to find him and get off this planet because she knew what this planet was famous for. And she knew that he knew as well. So she was surprised when she came upon him. He was crouching down, looking at some footprints that didn't seem to be his. When he stood up and turned around, the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. He was not the guilty party in this hunt that she was so caught up in. He was tracking someone else just like she was tracking him. He nodded only once before he headed out again, this time with her following. They hunted the person together but found no trace of him. When they returned to her ship that was when she got the explanation that she wanted, but only after she had secured him in one of the cells. He'd expected it; even let her take his weapons. He knew that he had some explaining to do but also knew that the truth would hurt the young bounty hunter.

She sat down in the cockpit and they left the planet far behind. They both didn't want to be on the planet when it got dark. He'd never really known anyone like her, just that she had been hunting him and that he had some questions of his own to exactly who she was and why she wanted to catch him so damn bad. But those questions would come later. For now, he got as comfortable as he could in his cell as she headed into deep space. She was headed back to Redemption, but she had a feeling that her prisoner had some secrets of his own. She knew that she had to get those secrets out of him before they got to Redemption or she would lose her only chance. She also knew that her Bounty had been tracking someone and that somehow that someone was responsible for all the crimes Travail had been accused of. She would need to understand what was going on with Travail, but now was not the time. She put the shuttle into autopilot and got up, headed for the small cot behind the pilot seat for some rest. She didn't expect the proximity alarm to start blaring in the middle of the night, nor did Travail, but that's what they both got.

 **The Semi-Abandoned Ship:**

By two in the morning, the proximity alarm was going off and both Mayta and Travail were awake. Travail was asking what was going on, but Mayta just jumped into the pilot's seat to see what they were coming up on. Travail was able to see out the window behind his cell that they were being pulled in by a huge ship, one that far outweighed anything the people of Redemption could ever build. He tried to tell her they were being pulled in, but she had already figured that out. Some sort of fighter-jet bay that had sensed their approach and had started to pull them in. Neither knew what kind of ship is was or if it was even inhabited. But both knew that they needed to search it and find out just where it was headed. Mayta could do nothing as she was pulled in by the gravitational pull but she was able to land the shuttle without damaging it. She Bay doors had shut and before she could do anything, some kind of computer system linked into her communication system and started to speak, as if the ship was alive.

"There is no need to be afraid, travelers. My people are in cryo-stasis chambers as they put the ship into a three-year FTL travel to escape from an enemy that was blockading them from gathering much needed solar gas. You see, my ship is solar-powered and the enemy was blocking any and all attempts to refuel in any stars. You may have heard of this enemy, they are known as the Drones and they hunt down all technology and destroy the people associated with it. I pulled you in so that you might wake my crew. We have reached this new galaxy and they have not woken up yet. Please wake them so that they can know that they are safe. I will allow you the necessary time to make yourselves safe for the air between this Bay and the living quarters they reside in has very thin air. When you are read, knock three times at the door just outside your shuttle."

"Who are you?" _Mayta asked._

"My name is Dr. Amanda Perry. I am one of the ships personalities if you wish to call them. You will also hear from a young woman named Gin and a Dr. Franklin. We became a part of the ship to save ourselves. It is a long story, one I will be happy to share with you later. Just know that we may show ourselves to you from time to time without anyone else being able to see us. When the ship when into its constant FTL, we were let out of our quarantine area to help Eli Wallace fix the last cryo-pod. We need them to wake up, because we do not know where we are going in this galaxy. Can you and your passenger wake our crew up for us?"

"We'll try our best Dr. Perry." _Travail said, finally speaking up._

"Thank you for your loyalty. Please get ready, weapons aren't needed but you can bring them if you wish. Gin will appear to guide you with my help as best we can."

"We'll be ready soon."

"We'll wait for you at the door."

Dr. Perry left the shuttle and Mayta went to the cells. She looked at Travail and made him promise not to attack her if she let him out. He promised and she unlocked the door. Travail stood up and she stepped back.

"We best get ready. This ship sure seems to need our help."

"When we wake these people up, not a word that you have a bounty on your head. As far as they know, the two of us are bounty hunters hunting down a serial killer. You will explain some things to me later. Right now, we need to help this crew, understand?"

"Understood."

Mayta handed back Travail's weapons before getting ready herself. She still had on her bulletproof vest so all she had to do was secure a few guns. She also handed him a breathing mask before donning her own mask. She opened the shuttle door and they exited together, each with a hand gun in their hands. They were working together for the moment, that might change when he learned what awaited him back on Redemption. Mayta pounded on the door and it slid open. They were greeted by a young red-haired woman. She smiled at them and extended her arm in front of her.

"My name is Gin. Dr. Perry told me to help escort you to the cryo-stasis pods. We haven't been able to open the pods and we believe there was some kind of error in the coding. We are hoping that with your help, we can get them open."

"It's nice to meet you Gin, how long were you onboard the ship before you integrated with the ship?"

"My people took the ship over and I was helping the people of Earth try to stop an attack on their home world when one of my own people killed me. Dr. Perry and I inhabited young Chloe Armstrong to understand what was going on with us and when it became evident that we were doing more harm than good to Chloe, Dr. Rush uploaded us to the ship so that we could help in any way that we could. Now we are a part of her mainframe and do what we can to make sure the crew survives. But there is little food left and we haven't been able to stop the ship without fear that we may be attacked. This galaxy is new to us."

"The war in this galaxy is long over. When we came here from another dimension we helped the warring factions settle their differences and the galaxy is now at peace, well as peaceful as a galaxy can get with different cultures spread throughout its verse. Which way now?" _Travail asked. We had been walking while Gin talked and had come upon what looked like a Mess Hall of sorts._

"This way, Dr. Perry believes a small code error is to blame and that actual living hands are needed to awaken the crew."

"It would stand to reason that you wouldn't be able to push buttons."

"Yes, that is quite difficult. Ah, here we are. These are my colleagues, Dr. Perry and Dr. Franklin. These are our guests; um…sorry I didn't get your names."

"I'm Mayta and this is Travail. We are bounty hunters. We were out here hunting a bounty when you picked us up." _I shot Travail a quick glance as I saw him nod and open his mouth._

"My sister here is the badass of us. She kicks ass and anyone that knows her knows not to cross her."

"Alright then, I believe it is nice to meet you. This is the control panel for all the stasis pods. With the press of a button, all pods should open. We will stay by your side until everyone is awake and then avail ourselves to them. Best if you stand out of the way when they come awake or they may believe that you are taking over the ships." _Dr. Perry said looking at our weapons which we immediately put away, hidden so that they wouldn't be seen by the crew. I glanced at Travail who gave a small nod. He remembered our deal. There was no need to screw up now; at least he was free of sorts._

"Alright, please press this button."

And with the press of the button, the stasis pods began to open and those inside began to wake up. When they removed themselves from the pods and saw the strangers standing next to the control panel, they were immediately on edge. As everyone gathered together, Col. Young and Dr. Rush moved first to see if Eli was among them, glad that he had been able to fix the stasis pod. Then they turned to the strangers that they did not know. Before anyone could talk, the three ship ghost availed themselves and Dr. Perry spoke up first.

"No need to be frightened Colonel. We pulled their shuttle into the ship and asked for their help in opening the stasis pods. They are friends for the moment."

"Mandy? How did you get out of the quarantine you were put in?" _Dr. Rush asked._

"Eli pulled us out so that we could help him fix the stasis pod. It worked and we've been roaming the ship ever since, waiting for you to wake up. But three years went and you still didn't wake up. When we knew something had gone wrong with the coding, we started looking for someone that might be able to help. We pulled the first shuttle we came across that seemed friendly into the fighter-jet bay and they've helped us to wake you up."

"Well, we thank you for that. But exactly who are you people?" _Colonel Young asked._

"I'm Mayta, a bounty hunter and this is my older brother, Travail. He's not a bounty hunter, but he's a pretty good tracker so he helps me when I need some extra eyes. This ship wouldn't happen to be heading for Redemption would it?" _My last question pointed at Dr. Perry, Gin and Dr. Franklin._

"We're in a habited galaxy so your guess is as good as ours. We only know that there are habitable planets in this galaxy and that there are also people or we wouldn't have found you." _Dr. Franklin said._

"Maybe I should have put my shuttle into Hyperspace after we left that planet. We would have been back at Redemption in no time flat."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have been able to collect that bounty of yours without a few pinpointed glances in your direction."

"Good point, T."

The crew got the feeling that the pair of bounty hunters was keeping something from them, but at the moment didn't care. They were offered a place to sleep but both declined, saying the shuttle they had arrived in was plenty comfortable. Gin said she'd accompany them back to the fighter bay. As the two new comers left with Gin, the rest of the crew got to working on some food for everyone so that they didn't feel starved. Dr. Perry and Dr. Franklin had been able to keep the greenhouse producing food while the crew slept. With the spider bots working overtime, collecting the fruit, the two scientists had set up a refrigeration unit to keep the food good till the crew woke once more. They would need to stop at a planet soon to get some actual food that hadn't been grown in the greenhouse but that wouldn't be a problem in a habited galaxy. For now, the crew settled back into a semi-normal life on the ship and contacted Earth to let them know that they had survived.

 _ **More to come in next chapter…**_

 _ **Please Review…**_


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